Conveyor system having a knock-down device that reorients stacked objects into a sequential orientation
First Claim
1. A conveyor system configured to reorient objects from a stacked orientation to a sequential orientation, the conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyor segment having an upstream end, a downstream end opposite the upstream end along a flow direction of the conveyor segment, a pair of lateral sides that oppose one another along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the flow direction, a top side, and a bottom side that opposes the top side along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to both the flow direction and the lateral direction, the conveyor segment defining a conveying surface configured to carry objects along the flow direction; and
a knock-down device having a knock-down body and at least one support member that supports the knock-down body such that the knock-down body is spaced entirely from the conveying surface along the vertical direction by at least a clearance height, the knock-down body having an upstream body end, a downstream body end offset from the upstream body end with respect to the flow direction, and a ramped surface that extends from the upstream body end to the downstream body end, the ramped surface being ramped away from the conveying surface as the ramped surface extends along the flow direction,wherein, when the conveying surface carries a first object having a first height less than the clearance height along the vertical direction, and carries a second object stacked on top of the first object, the first and second objects having a combined stacked height along the vertical direction that is greater than the clearance height, the first object passes under the knock-down body, and the ramped surface impedes a path of the second object along the flow direction so as to separate the second object from the first object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a conveyor system has a conveyor segment and a knock-down device. The conveyor segment has an upstream end, and a downstream end opposite the upstream end. The conveyor segment defines a conveying surface that carries objects along a flow direction that extends from the upstream end to the downstream end. The knock-down device has a knock-down body that is spaced entirely from the conveying surface along a vertical direction by at least a clearance height. The knock-down body has an upstream body end, a downstream body end offset from the upstream body end with respect to the flow direction, and a ramped surface that extends between the upstream body end and the downstream body end. The ramped surface is ramped away from the conveying surface as the ramped surface extends along the flow direction, and knocks down objects that are stacked on top of one another.
7 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A conveyor system configured to reorient objects from a stacked orientation to a sequential orientation, the conveyor system comprising:
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a conveyor segment having an upstream end, a downstream end opposite the upstream end along a flow direction of the conveyor segment, a pair of lateral sides that oppose one another along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the flow direction, a top side, and a bottom side that opposes the top side along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to both the flow direction and the lateral direction, the conveyor segment defining a conveying surface configured to carry objects along the flow direction; and a knock-down device having a knock-down body and at least one support member that supports the knock-down body such that the knock-down body is spaced entirely from the conveying surface along the vertical direction by at least a clearance height, the knock-down body having an upstream body end, a downstream body end offset from the upstream body end with respect to the flow direction, and a ramped surface that extends from the upstream body end to the downstream body end, the ramped surface being ramped away from the conveying surface as the ramped surface extends along the flow direction, wherein, when the conveying surface carries a first object having a first height less than the clearance height along the vertical direction, and carries a second object stacked on top of the first object, the first and second objects having a combined stacked height along the vertical direction that is greater than the clearance height, the first object passes under the knock-down body, and the ramped surface impedes a path of the second object along the flow direction so as to separate the second object from the first object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A conveyor system, comprising:
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a conveyor segment having an upstream end, and a downstream end opposite the upstream end, the conveyor segment defining a conveying surface configured to carry objects along a flow direction that extends from the upstream end to the downstream end; and a knock-down device having knock-down body that is spaced entirely from the conveying surface along a vertical direction by at least a clearance height, the knock-down body having an upstream body end, a downstream body end offset from the upstream body end with respect to the flow direction, and a ramped surface that extends between the upstream body end and the downstream body end, the ramped surface being ramped away from the conveying surface as the ramped surface extends along the flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of reorienting objects from a stacked orientation to a sequential orientation, the method comprising:
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(a) carrying a first object on a conveying surface of a conveyor segment along a flow direction, the first object having a first height along a vertical direction; (b) carrying a second object stacked on top of the first object, the first and seconds objects having a combined height along the vertical direction; (c) passing the first object on the conveying surface under a knock-down body of a knock-down device along the flow direction, the knock-down body being spaced entirely over the conveying surface along the vertical direction by at least a clearance height that is greater than the first height and less than the combined height; and (d) impeding a path of the second object along the flow direction with a ramped surface of the knock-down body so as to allow the first object to separate from the second object as the first object passes under the knock-down body, the ramped surface extending away from the conveying surface as the ramped surface extends along the flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification